There Will Be Magic
by GrayWing N
Summary: A series of one-shots set during the events of Do You Want to Build a Snowman while Anna and Elsa are growing up in the castle. Elsa battles with keeping her distance from her younger sister while still being a good older sibling. Plenty of angst and touching moments.
1. A Birthday Dinner

Anna awoke with a dreary yawn and a mop of ruffled red hair. She hadn't slept well. Thoughts of what today would bring had swarmed her mind, causing her to toss and turn in anticipation.

Today was her sister Elsa's 19th birthday.

Any other year this day would have been a very normal, even mundane day for Anna. Normally she would simply cast a forced "happy birthday" to her sister after dinner and watch from the other side of the room as their parents presented her with a new gown or set of fancy gloves as a gift that Anna had little to do with.

This year would be different, though. There would be no expensive gifts. There would be no special dinner for Elsa. Anna wasn't even sure her sister would leave her room today.

The King and Queen had been gone for nearly 6 months now, lost at sea, and the teenage Princesses found themselves with only each other's rare company in the seemingly infinite hallways that made up the castle of Arendelle.

Anna couldn't help but feel like she was responsible for making today special for her older sister and letting her know she wasn't alone. She wanted Elsa to know she still had some family left and Anna had not given up on her. It was something that she had attempted to no avail the night of their parent's funeral, but Anna felt determined as she got out of bed, dressed, and fixed her hair before heading into the hallway feeling refreshed and optimistic. Today Elsa would finally leave her room.

Anna's cheery attitude faltered as she made her way to Elsa's blue patterned door. This would be the first time Anna had knocked on it since the night of the funeral, and the two girls had barely seen each other since then, Elsa only appearing when she absolutely needed to eat or attend some formal meeting in preparation for becoming queen.

Anna suddenly felt her nerves get the better of her and considered walking back to her own room for a moment before reminding herself that it was only her mild-mannered sister on the other side of that door. She steeled herself and knocked.

"Elsa? It's me, Anna…I just wanted to say happy birthday!" She paused, waiting for a response. When none came, she continued. "I know you probably want to be left alone, but…I was thinking, because it's your birthday, do you want to maybe have dinner with me tonight? There's something I want to show you, if you're interested…" She trailed off. There was silence for several seconds and Anna started to feel she was being ignored, until finally there was a soft noise from the other side of the door and Elsa's quiet voice came through.

"Thank you, Anna…I had almost forgotten it was my own birthday, how silly of me…a-and yes, I would love to get dinner with you." Then, to Anna's astonishment, the door opened ever so slightly revealing half of the blonde girl's face, eyes full of timid joy and gratitude at her sister's invitation. "I'll tell Kai and Gerda that we will not be joining them tonight. Just come get me when you want to go, alright?" Then the door was closed and the enigma that was Elsa had disappeared into her room once more.

Anna blinked, amazed at just how well the interaction had gone, and couldn't wipe the goofy grin from her face as she skipped to the kitchen to get things ready for their dinner.

* * *

That night the girls climbed the steps of a long forgotten tower in the far corner of the castle.

"Anna, I don't know if that's such a good idea…" Elsa said lamely, holding a picnic basket as Anna jumped up onto the window sill and sat with her legs outside, preparing to climb out onto the top of the tower.

"Oh come on Elsa, it isn't hard! Just two quick jumps. It's totally worth it, this tower has the best view in the entire castle. I found it a couple weeks ago and have been dying to show somebody." She looked down at Elsa and couldn't help but grin at how awkward the girl looked in her formal blue gown and gloves, holding the basket Anna had prepared in one hand and looking utterly terrified at the concept of any physical activity. "You'll be fine. I'll help you up, okay?" Anna reassured her.

The window wasn't far from the roof of the tower, but it did require Anna to grab the stone ledge and hoist herself up with a grunt, throwing her legs to the side awkwardly before letting her feet land on the roof of the enormous tower that dwarfed over the rest of the castle. "Okay, now sit on the window sill and pass me the basket. Then it's your turn!" she called down to her sister.

Elsa mentally berated herself for agreeing to this, but seeing no way out of the situation and wanting nothing more than to appease her eager sister, she carefully brought her legs over the edge of the window, trying not to look down at the lethal drop to the courtyard below. Once she had steadied herself she lifted the basket for her sister to snatch before standing up ever so cautiously, biting her lip and trying as hard as she could not to let the fear get to her.

_Don't feel, don't feel…_

"You're doing great! Here, take my hand." Anna said as she leaned over the edge and offered Elsa a steadying hand. The blonde recoiled at the gesture instinctively, averse to any physical contact with her sister that could reveal her powers. _Or worse… _she thought_. _But seeing no recourse and wanting desperately to get out of the position she was in, Elsa reached up and clasped their hands together. Even through the silk gloves, Anna could feel Elsa's hands were as cold as ice.

She hoisted herself over the ledge using her other hand to grab the stone and surprised herself by landing almost gracefully next to her sister who was beaming with delight. "See? That wasn't so bad!" Anna squealed, grabbing Elsa's other gloved hand. "Look!" She gestured pompously over the edge of the tower, exhibiting the reason why she had subjected her sister to that act of unladylike adventure.

The view was absolutely breath taking and Elsa couldn't help but let out a small gasp. From the girls' vantage point they could see every inch of Arendelle. The castle below bathed in the gentle glow of the full moon and twinkling stars, the northern lights spectacularly painting the sky in green and blue. Lights from houses where families were enjoying their dinners dotted the mountainside and the sails of the ships in the fjord gently swayed as they rocked back and forth in the calm water. A cool breeze brought a calming sound to Elsa's ears as she drank in the sight, momentarily letting go of her anxiety and truly appreciating the beauty of the land that she was soon to rule.

Anna took a deep breath and sighed, still grasping her older sister's hands. "Pretty amazing, right?"

Elsa recovered from her bewilderment and smiled at her sister. "Wow, Anna, I… I've never seen anything like it." Anna looked amused for a moment. "I know, silly, that's why I wanted to show you! Now…" She pulled the blanket that was stored in the picnic basket out and spread it over the rooftop before sitting down and patting the spot next to her, inviting Elsa to sit down.

"Let's eat. I made sandwiches! I know it's not much of a birthday dinner, but I wasn't sure what you liked and I'm not exactly a gourmet chef and so…" She looked down embarrassed but quickly lit up again when she remembered their dessert. "Oh yeah! And I brought chocolate for later!"

Elsa wasn't sure what to say. This was the nicest thing anybody had done for her in years and she was floored with Anna's thoughtfulness for a sister who had barely said a word to her even after their parent's deaths.

A feeling of guilt welled up inside her as she knelt down properly next to the cheery redhead who offered her a sloppily made sandwich and began to eat with unprincess-like vigor. Elsa simply grinned as she took a polite bite and peered out at the view with wide eyes.

After a moment of comfortable silence, Anna spoke again. "There's one more thing…I got you a present, and I know it's nothing fancy like mom and dad would have given you…" Both girls' faces dropped at the mention of their parents. "But I've been working on my knitting and I know you've always loved your gloves, so I made you these."

She reached into the picnic basket again, this time pulling out a pair of pink wool mittens with an expertly stitched blue letter on the back of each that Elsa guessed were meant to be the initials of the two sisters, the left with an 'E' and the right with an 'A'.

"They aren't perfect, and I don't expect you to actually wear them because I don't think they would really fit with your usual outfits, but I just thought…"

Elsa suddenly let out a stifled sob as she accepted the gloves from Anna's hands. The younger girl looked up and realized that her sister was crying, her eyes shining and cheeks wet, makeup beginning to run down her face. "Elsa? A-are you okay?"

Elsa nodded and pressed her lips together. "You didn't… have to do all of this….for me..." she managed through an onslaught of tears.

The guilt that the young Queen felt for shutting out her sister was becoming too difficult. Elsa found herself feeling more emotions now than she had ever allowed in the eleven long years since Anna had forgotten her powers.

The younger girl just smiled and placed a hand on her sister's shoulder. "I wanted to! I know we don't see each other a lot, but after mom and dad died, I just wanted to let you know that I'm still here, I'm still your sister, and I love you!"

Elsa broke down and sobbed at the words. Anna said nothing, simply scooting closer to let the blonde cry on her shoulder, placing comforting arms around her waist.

The two stayed like that for a long time. Elsa's sobs subsided eventually and she began to think about what would come next. She had allowed herself this time with her sister because it was her birthday and she decided to be selfish, if just for one day. Elsa cherished it more than anything, but it occurred to her that it could not last.

Tomorrow she would have to go back to her room.

Tomorrow she would have to keep her distance again.

It was only a matter of time before she slipped up and revealed her powers, she knew, and after what seemed like hours of sitting in Anna's warm embrace, the fear started to come back. It grew inside her like a burning fire and to Elsa's dismay, she soon felt the familiar chill of frost beginning to coat the inside of her gloves and slippers. The blanket beneath her foot grew cold and stiff.

Elsa knew that her time was up.

She ripped herself away from the redhead and quickly stood up. "Elsa? Are you okay?" She asked but the older girl couldn't answer. Her throat closed up and she felt like she would implode if she even tried to speak.

She quickly picked up the gloves that were Anna's gift, meeting her eyes with a look of a thousand unsaid apologies and thank yous before quickly climbing down from the roof of the tower and through the window in an act of athleticism completely unlike her.

Anna just sat in shock staring at the stars above her, wondering if she would ever understand the eternal mystery that was her older sister.

* * *

Anna's birthday fell just two weeks after Elsa's. Anna couldn't remember the last time she had received a gift from her sister and when she woke up on her birthday morning, she expected nothing from the older girl. Elsa had once again locked herself up in her room and had not spoken to her even after the night on the rooftop.

It came as a huge surprise, then, when Anna opened her door to find a shiny pair of brand new boots sitting in the hallway complete with a large pink bow and a piece of parchment with a carefully written note in handwriting that could only belong to the future Queen.

'Happy Birthday, Anna! I'm no knitter, but I thought you could use these for all of your climbing adventures around the castle. Be careful and have fun. Always know that I'm here, I'm your sister, and I love you too! – Elsa'

Anna could hardly contain a joyous sob when she inspected the boots and noticed the large golden 'E' and 'A' that were embroidered on the side of each one.


	2. Whiskers

Eleven-year-old Anna was used to being bored. She had accepted that her sister was not interested in spending more time with her than necessary long ago, but still some days were harder to get through than others and she found herself constantly looking for new ways to keep her young mind occupied and entertained.

Her love for the winter was slowly fading over the years as she realized that sledding, snowball fights, and building snowmen were activities that desperately required a companion to be fully enjoyed. The summer months slowly won over her favor as she began to explore the castle grounds to their full extent during the warm June days. The castle gardens were full of green plants, blooming flowers, and dry, winding paths. Anna liked to think of the garden as an enormous labyrinth full of secrets and wonders just waiting to be uncovered. She explored them vigorously, sometimes for hours on end, to break the monotony of life in the quiet castle.

The summers in Arendelle were short-lived and the gardens of the castle were enormous; in fact, Anna was sure she hadn't even explored half of the possibilities yet in the past couple summers since she had made it her project.

One day in June was particularly hot and humid. Anna found herself in the middle of the garden-labyrinth hopelessly lost, thirsty, and desperate for shade. Mentally cursing herself for choosing the worst day to delve this deep into the unknown, Anna began to search for a place to rest her tired feet and recuperate before beginning the trek back to the entrance of the maze-like garden.

She spotted a curious looking break in the mess of plants that lined the brick walls and decided to investigate. After pulling the plants away, she bent down to look at what lied beneath, excited when a large hole in the wall was revealed. She ducked her head to look through and discovered that there was a shady alcove on the other side. Anna was never one to hesitate when exploring the mysteries of the garden and she climbed inside without much of a second thought, sighing in relief as she escaped the incessant heat from the sun.

The little alcove was large enough to allow Anna to move freely and lie down. Anna felt strangely comfortable in the little hidden spot and was proud of herself for making such a unique discovery.

Just as the little princess was about to close her eyes and doze off, she heard a rustling from somewhere in the mess of plants that surrounded her and perked up. She looked around wearily for the creature that was lurking somewhere in her new-found sanctuary.

To her relief, a small brown ball of fluff appeared from behind a bushel and slowly approached her. It was a tiny rabbit, surely in its adolescence. Anna froze, mindful not to scare the adorable little thing, but when it showed no signs of fear, she dared to move a little closer and reached out with her hand. To her delight, the bunny sniffed her hand and visibly relaxed. He clearly had no problem with the small human girl that had intruded in his home.

"Hey there little guy. You aren't afraid of anything, are you?" Anna said, well aware that the little animal couldn't understand a word she said. The furry creature surprised Anna by hopping onto her lap and snuggling close to the girl's chest. Anna couldn't help but make a small noise of happiness as the adorable rabbit showed his affection.

"I guess we're friends now, huh? I should give you a name, shouldn't I? How about…." She thought for a moment as the rabbit nuzzled its face into her arm, tickling her with his whiskers. "Oh! How about Whiskers?" The rabbit's ears perked up in response and Anna took that as a sign of approval for his new name.

"Alright, Whiskers. Want to go exploring with me?"

Anna spent the rest of the day with her new companion in the garden. Whiskers followed her with a child-like attachment, never letting her out of his sight for a moment. Suddenly the heat didn't bother the young princess as much and she found a renewed energy that had her climbing and playing throughout the green maze with Whiskers by her side well into the evening.

When it was time for Anna to go inside for dinner, she led Whiskers back to the hidden alcove where she first found him and told him to stay there until she could come back tomorrow. He hopped up and down in protest as she began to leave, but obediently complied when she told him she couldn't bring him with her.

The next day Anna returned to find him patiently waiting in the same spot. He was so excited to see the princess again that he jumped into her arms, obviously eager to start the day's adventure.

The rest of the summer, Anna visited Whiskers every day and they would explore the gardens together. It became a daily ritual and Anna couldn't have been happier to finally have a friend who genuinely enjoyed her company on a regular basis.

No animal could replace the sisterly love that Anna missed in her heart, but Whiskers was a welcome change that carried her through the long days when Elsa was in her room reading or studying.

With Whiskers by her side, Anna finally began to feel loved again.

* * *

Elsa peered out her bedroom window, taking a break from her studies to enjoy the view of the gorgeous summer day that blessed the castle of Arendelle.

The fourteen-year-old princess found herself looking out this window quite often recently as she was having a hard time focusing on anything but the curse that seemed to be growing inside her with each passing day. The pages of her novels would stick together every so often, disrupting her reading and causing her to cast the book to the side in frustration and revert back to doing the only thing she could do without being reminded of her strange power: observing.

From her window, Elsa had a pretty good view of most of the castle grounds, including the entrance to the enormous gardens that surrounded the stone walls. She caught a glimpse of her sister entering and exiting the gardens almost every day, and Elsa envied the adventurous nature of her younger sibling. She almost considered the possibility of joining her on some occasions before remembering the consequences that could come of that endeavor and erasing the thought from her head.

Elsa remembered Anna mentioning something about making a new friend in the gardens to a pair of exhausted parents at the dinner table several nights ago. The King and Queen had written it off as some imaginary playmate, but Elsa knew that Anna was much too old to be imagining friends and she became curious as to what kind of companion Anna was going to visit every day in the mysterious depths of the garden maze.

Before long, Elsa's curiosity and boredom got the better of her and she decided to go see what was out there in the garden that had her younger sister so attached to it.

That evening, Elsa watched the garden entrance and waited for the red headed girl to show herself. Just as the sun was beginning to set, Anna appeared, hair tangled and clothes absolutely filthy with dirt, humming happily as she strode out from the gardens and into the large castle doors.

Elsa sprang at her opportunity. She lit a seldom-used lantern, quietly headed out of her room, being careful to avoid her sister's path back to her own, and bounded down the steps and through the castle doors leading to the gardens.

Elsa had rarely set foot in the gardens in all of her years in the castle and she started to feel quite nervous as she entered the dark maze. The light of dusk was barely hanging on and Elsa had to hold the lantern ahead of her to see where she was stepping as she slowly made her way deeper into the gardens. The future Queen wasn't entirely sure what she was looking for but felt a rare sense of adventure and excitement, something that the blonde had not experienced in a very long time.

A loud rustling broke Elsa's confident stride and she stopped, startled, and held the lantern at the ready, looking ahead for the source of the sound. Magical ice began to spread around her feet.

Just when the princess was about to abandon her adventure and flee back to the safety of her room, she glimpsed a set of brown ears popping out from behind a cluster of flowers and she stepped forward to get a good look at the tiny animal that they belonged to. A rabbit revealed itself and hopped towards Elsa.

The blonde had never seen an animal with such confidence and trust and she was astonished when the furball came right up to sniff her leg and looked up with curious intensity. Elsa knelt, smiling at the creature.

"Hi there. You must be Anna's friend…I-I'm her sister Elsa." The girl felt a little silly talking to a rabbit, but to her surprise, his eyes lit up at the mention of Anna's name and began to hop up and down. Then he turned around and started to bound away, stopping to look back at the bewildered princess as if to see if she was following.

Elsa paused for a moment before realizing that the rabbit wanted her to follow. Sighing at the utter insanity of the situation she found herself in, she aptly stood up and complied.

The rabbit led her for a couple minutes into the depths of the maze and Elsa made sure to pay attention to the path so she could find her way out. The light from the sun was almost completely gone and the stars were coming into view as day turned into night.

The rabbit stopped eventually and made his way to a cluster of plants by the wall, pushing through it and disappearing to the other side. Elsa had to pull away a few plants to see that there was a hole underneath and the peculiar rabbit was waiting for her on the other side of the wall.

Elsa put the lantern down and frowned. She hadn't planned on getting dirty when she set out on this strange endeavor and was still wearing her nice nightgown and gloves. Deciding that she had already come this far and having an overwhelming desire to make this a real adventure, she cast aside her worries and crawled through the hole, emerging on the other side to a small alcove.

She pulled the lantern through the hole to take a good look at her surroundings and was surprised when she saw that this was clearly a frequently visited spot. There were books neatly stacked on the ground by the hole and an unlit lantern and match were sitting next to them. Elsa smiled when she saw that there was also an open notebook with pencils scattered nearby and a picture of a crudely drawn troll scrawled on the pages.

"These must be Anna's things, huh?" Elsa asked her new furry pal as he hopped around Anna's natural clubhouse before landing on the teen's lap and happily nuzzling against her. Elsa began to pet the friendly animal and he hummed with happiness as she ran her gloved hand across his back.

Elsa had never felt more comfortable and although the situation was strange, she couldn't help but feel a connection with her sister as she enjoyed their mutual friend's company in the special spot that both girls had stumbled upon separately.

Elsa removed her gloves in an act of rare trust to feel the rabbit's soft fur against her skin.

After several minutes of silence, Elsa heard a faint rustling through the hole and she perked up in surprise.

"Whiskers! I'm back!"

Anna's voice.

Her sister was coming.

Elsa sprang up in surprise, still holding Whiskers who had looked up in excitement at the sound of Anna's voice but made no move to leave his comfortable spot in the girl's arms.

Elsa began to panic as she realized that she was intruding in her younger sister's special alcove and would have to face the girl in just a few moments. A million thoughts raced through her mind as she prepared for the inevitable encounter.

_What if she's mad that I'm here? What if she didn't want me to know? What if she tells mom and dad? What if –_

_Whoosh!_

A flash of blue light erupted from Elsa's fingertips and filled the small chamber. A pained squeak followed and Elsa felt a chill as her eyes fell down to the ball of fur that was still in her arms.

"No…" she whispered as a streak of white formed through the rabbit's brown fur, beginning behind his right ear and ending near his tail. He was cold as ice against Elsa's arms and she sobbed in dismay when she realized that he was no longer moving or breathing.

"Elsa?" Anna's face appeared in the hole leading into the alcove with a look of pure astonishment at seeing her older sister in the last place she expected. Elsa didn't respond, tears welling up in her eyes as she cradled the still animal.

"Elsa, how did you-" Anna paused when she saw Whiskers in her sister's arms and came closer, a look of panic forming across her features. "Whiskers!" She exclaimed and reached out to take him from Elsa's arms.

"I-I'm sorry Anna… I found him… like this…" Elsa could barely form the words as she forfeited the body to her distraught sister and quickly pulled on her gloves before burying her face into her hands. Anna was already in tears and didn't even bother to ask how or why Elsa was here in the first place, too busy mourning the loss of her only friend in the world. Elsa stood up in panicked distress. She wanted to say something, to comfort her sister, to do _anything_, but she knew that she needed to get away. Fast.

Elsa quickly grabbed the lantern and fled the alcove. As she ran towards the castle, Anna's anguished cries faded away into the night and Elsa returned to her desolate room vowing to never take off her gloves again.

* * *

**One week later…**

Anna finished her supper and excused herself to begin the painful ascent to her room. This normally would have been her favorite time of day only a week ago as it would be her nightly visit to the gardens to see Whiskers. Now, she found herself with nothing to do but pass the time in her room alone.

The young girl made it to the top of the stairs and saw a glimpse of blue out of the corner of her eye. "Elsa? Is that you?" she asked timidly. Elsa appeared from behind the corner, giving her sister a sad look and attempting a polite smile.

"Hi Anna. How…how are you?" she managed. It sounded forced but her tone confirmed that she was genuinely concerned for the well-being of her younger sibling. Anna just gave her a blank stare for a moment and then suddenly let out a sob, tears forming in her puffy red eyes. "Not great…" she said with a sniffle. "I just don't understand why the world is so sad…"

Elsa's heart broke. She knew that this was her fault and she wanted to throw herself out of the nearest window for being so careless.

But Anna needed her right now. She had nobody else to go to, clearly not trusting their parents with the morbid news of the death of her friend, and Elsa felt a protective instinct surge through her as she watched the redhead cry.

Elsa knew that she only had one option.

_Put on a show...just for now...for her..._

"Oh, Anna…" she said, stepping closer to comfort the other girl. She wrapped her arms around the younger girl's shoulders and Anna turned to cry into Elsa's embrace. "The world is sad sometimes, and it can be really unfair. But you can't let it break you. You're the most optimistic and happy person I know, and I hate seeing you this sad. I know your friend meant a lot to you but he's in a better place now and he will always live on in your heart. It's okay to cry for him. But he would want you to be happy. Eventually you'll learn to let him go. I promise."

Despite the cliché, Anna appeared to be comforted, and her sobs died down as she hugged Elsa closer and nodded. "T-thanks, Elsa. I...I like when you actually talk to me..."

Elsa felt a jab in her heart and had to stop herself from breaking into tears of her own, but she stayed strong for Anna, gently stroking the redhead's hair and remaining silent.

Elsa had to remind herself that what she was doing was only in the best interest of her sister, and she had to accept that no matter how hard it would be sometimes, she could never show the girl this kind of closeness on a regular basis.

The two girls continued their embrace for a while, lost in the moment, and despite her somber mood, Anna finally smiled. She felt like she was with Whiskers again as her older sister finally showed the same affection towards her that the friendly rabbit had.

For that one moment, Anna felt truly loved.


	3. Delivery

When Elsa was nine, she still remembered what it felt like to control her powers. Grand Pabbie's warning hadn't fully affected her yet. It wasn't until she had started to use her powers by mistake – summoning ice just by touching a surface or occasionally creating frost on the rim of her cups – that she developed a fear of what her powers could do.

For the better part of a year after Anna's accident, Elsa could still use her powers at will and would spend a good amount of time in her room playing and experimenting with her enchanted hands, summoning small flurries of snowflakes and frosting her window so she could trace a silly face with her finger.

Anna would sometimes walk by her sister's room and shiver from the cold air that would flow from under her door. The naïve princess came under the assumption that the weather was always much chillier on that side of the castle. She asked her father about it one day and he only replied, "That's just the direction where the North Wind comes from. It will always have a bit of a draft over there."

Anna started to avoid that area of the castle entirely.

* * *

Elsa sat by her window on a spring morning in boredom and chilled the glass with a touch of her finger. She smiled with satisfaction as the cold frost crackled on the window, slowly creeping across the reflective surface.

Her eyes wandered to the outside where she could see the entrance to the castle and perked up when she saw that there was a sled approaching stacked at least six feet high with gorgeously cut blocks of ice. A tall bearded man dismounted from the sled as he reached the castle gates and Elsa squinted when she saw a small blonde figure come into view behind him, riding what appeared to be a miniature sled pulled by an equally miniature animal that Elsa could only guess was a reindeer.

As she leaned forward to get a clearer view, she heard a familiar rapping on her door.

"Elsa! There's a delivery! C'mon let's go and see what it is!" It was little six-year-old Anna's excited voice.

Elsa took a few steps toward the door before stopping, remembering what her father had told her, the words echoing in her head.

_You must keep your distance from Anna for a while, Elsa. Just until you can learn to fully control your power._

"I-I'll be right there, Anna. Go ahead without me."

Elsa could feel the disappointment radiating from her sister through the door as she walked away.

The pang of guilt that she felt for turning away her sister didn't quell her curiosity for the delivery, however. After several minutes of waiting until she was sure that the coast was clear, she left her room to go see for herself.

Elsa stationed herself at the top of the staircase near the front entrance of the castle just in time to see her father talking with the bearded man and signing a piece of parchment. Anna stood clinging to her father's leg and holding her blue doll, eyeing the man with suspicion.

"Didn't realize that the royal family was getting into ice sculpting. That's a pretty…different hobby if you don't mind me saying, your majesty" said the ice harvester politely.

The King handed back the piece of parchment and smiled, "It's a rather new development. My daughters are a little different themselves" he said playfully, ruffling Anna's head and causing her to giggle with delight.

_Ice sculpting? Did…did father get those blocks for me?_

"Alright Kristoff, get 'em in here and take them to the cellar then" said the man stepping aside to make way for the figure behind him.

A small blonde boy entered the castle, pulling a large cart stacked with ice blocks behind him, rope slung over one shoulder, grunting with effort and squeezing his eyes shut.

He looked to be about Elsa's age, perhaps a bit younger, but his strength was uncanny. The cart itself probably weighed as much as he did, but he was able to move at a steady pace as he lugged the load through the front hall, following the King's instructions on where he wanted them to be stored.

Anna's eyes never left the boy as she watched with amazement and a bit of uneasiness.

Elsa stayed at the top of the stairs, not wanting to make her presence known and not entirely sure of the reason for that, either. Her father's request was still burning in her mind.

This couldn't be a coincidence though, she thought. Her Father had probably bought the ice for Elsa as a source of practice for her powers. Perhaps he thought that she could turn it into a positive hobby by creating ice sculptures, although Elsa had never been particularly artistically inclined like her sister. Maybe he thought it would throw off suspicion of her isolation. Maybe he thought it would be good for her.

_Maybe then I wouldn't look like such a weirdo…_

Elsa wasn't sure what the purpose of the peculiar delivery was, but she was fascinated by the smooth glassiness of the ice blocks as she watched the boy transport them. She felt the sudden urge to touch their chilly surfaces.

The King and bearded ice harvester said their thank yous and goodbyes as the boy disappeared from Elsa's view into the side hall.

"Come on Anna," the King said. "I think it's time for some breakfast."

"Breakfast!" the little princess exclaimed as she ran around her father and then disappeared around the corner, arms outstretched, doll flopping wildly in her arms. The King followed with a chuckle.

Elsa took the opportunity to go see the ice blocks first-hand, scurrying down the steps and heading towards the cellar.

She peeked inside to see that the little boy had already brought the cart fully into the room and was awkwardly climbing the stack in order to grab the top block to unload it. He seemed to be having a lot of trouble keeping traction on the slick surface and was letting out small exasperated grunts as he reached up above him with both hands.

Elsa wasn't sure if she should interrupt him, so she quietly entered the cold damp storage room and stood next to the cart, eyeing the glassy ice with wonder.

The boy had finally gripped the top block of ice and was just about to slide it towards him, tongue hanging from his mouth in concentration, when Elsa decided to speak.

"Do you want some help?" she said simply and politely.

Elsa gasped when the boy quickly turned his head in surprise and yelped, losing his balance and falling backwards from the stack, landing on his back on the floor with a _thud_. He had pulled the top ice block with him and caused the cart to spur forward and hit the wall. The unfastened ice teetered for an agonizing moment before falling to the floor, ice chunks flying in every direction as the blocks shattered on the ground with a giant crash.

The pair of blonde children found themselves looking around in shock at the enormous mess of broken ice and water that surrounded them.

The boy blinked and looked up at Elsa who had backed against the wall in surprise. His cheeks started to burn fiery red.

"I-I'll clean this up! Let me go get a broom!" he said, standing up and practically sprinting for the door. "Oh man, Haldor is going to kill me!" she heard him say as he ran off to search for a futile way to undo the catastrophe in the cellar.

Elsa couldn't help but feel bad for what had just happened. She was the one who startled the boy, after all, and as she stared at the shattered ice around her, an obvious idea formed in her head.

She closed the door, knowing that she only had a short time before the boy returned, and took a deep breath, steeling herself.

Then she opened her hands and spread her fingers, allowing the magic to swirl from her fingertips and dance around the icy mess, causing the solid water to move through the air and piece together in a spectacular display of blue and white light. The blocks of ice started to retake their shape and then fly back onto the cart, stacking neatly and soon resembling their former state all the way down to the slightly misplaced block on top.

Elsa lowered her hands and put them on her hips. A prideful smile appeared on her face as she marveled at her accomplishment.

After a moment of reveling, she heard the door open and turned to see that the boy had already come back, holding an old broom in one hand and looking utterly mystified by the sight of the reformed blocks in front of him. A young reindeer only about the size of the boy himself emerged behind him and poked his head inside with curious intent.

"How did you-" he began to ask, but stopped when he got a good look at the girl in front of him and a look of recognition flashed across his face.

Elsa frowned and tensed up when she realized that she hadn't planned on how to explain the rapid cleanup to the ice harvester boy. She opened her mouth to begin a hasty explanation but he spoke first.

"It's you… Magic…" he said softly, lowering the broom and exchanging glances with the peculiar animal next to him.

Elsa panicked. "W-what, no, I just –" she stuttered, but the boy stepped forward with a friendly expression and raised a gloved hand to stop her.

"It's okay. I won't tell anybody." Elsa gave him a blank stare and he rubbed the back of his neck before continuing.

"I mean, I already live with Trolls so I guess you could say I'm not exactly normal myself…so don't worry." He said coolly as he walked over to climb the stack and unload the blocks of ice again.

Elsa was stunned at his nonchalant attitude and wasn't sure if the boy was being serious or not, so she remained quiet and just stared as he brought the blocks of ice to the ground and stacked them in the corner.

"I-I'm Kristoff, by the way..." he finally said shyly. "You must be the princess. Oh, and that's my buddy Sven" he said pointing to the reindeer, who was sniffing the princess as if looking for any food she might have on her person.

Elsa was still recovering from the shock of having her powers known to somebody other than her parents, but she managed to nod and give a tiny smile as the small reindeer licked her hand in friendly greeting. She pulled away instinctively but let out a little giggle in response and patted the animal's nose timidly.

Kristoff finished his task and began to pull the cart behind him as he walked towards the cellar door. Elsa's face formed a worried expression when she saw that he was about to leave.

"Um…Kristoff, was it? My Daddy says that nobody can know about my powers. Not even my sister knows… you can't tell anybody, okay?" she pleaded.

Kristoff looked sad for a moment and then gave Elsa a confident look, puffing out his chest and bringing up his hand in his best attempt at a military salute.

"I promise. Your secret is safe with me." He brought his hand down and his expression changed to one of humility. "I do owe you after all… y'know, for the new ice and everything. So thanks. A-and good luck. With your magic and being princess and all… um, I better get back, Haldor is probably already on the trail waiting for me." He finished and grabbed Sven by the neck as he exited the cellar and headed towards the front hall pulling the cart behind him.

Elsa followed still flooded with anxiety but comforted a little by the trustworthy impression that the strange boy had given. She found herself thinking that in some strange and unlikely way, she had just made a friend.

Her first real friend that wasn't Anna.

The boy was already by the front door when Elsa noticed that Anna was lurking in the hallway nearby, watching the pair with curious and intense teal eyes but remaining silent.

Kristoff's eyes met Anna's for a moment and they both stared. Elsa could have sworn she saw a twinkle in her sister's eye as the two looked at each other.

Kristoff merely gave her a sincere smile before opening the door to leave, Sven in tow.

Elsa held it open for a moment as he walked away and finally found her voice again.

"Hey," she said and he turned to look at her again. "Thank you…" She looked down timidly.

Kristoff's face lit up.

Then the princess pushed the door shut and a bittersweet sadness swept over her as the blonde boy's face disappeared from view. She turned to go back up to her room, casting Anna an apologetic glance when she could see the burning curiosity in her sister's eyes.

That was the last time the princesses saw the blonde boy for a long, long time.


	4. Escape

Anna was sick of books.

When she turned fourteen, she discovered they were the only way she could escape her confinement, even if it was just into her imagination. She spent hours reading every book on her father's shelf, losing herself in the stories and history that existed there. For a while it satiated her adventurous desires and made her feel like a true scholar, just like her sister.

However, now that Anna had read and reread every story she could get her hands on, just looking at the worn covers of the castle's book collection made her feel trapped, more confined than ever.

She ran her hand across the spines of the books that lined the castle library walls, looking for something, _anything_ that was new and fresh but only finding the same old fairy tales and historical records she had grown to loathe. The redhead stopped when her eyes fell on the last book on the shelf: _Magical Creatures of the Northern Kingdoms._

Anna had already read this one, but it was one of her favorites. She particularly loved the chapter about the Trolls. They had become something of an obsession of hers ever since she dreamed about being kissed by one as a child. She convinced herself that was how she gained the identifying white streak in her hair and even though she knew it was silly, she had always yearned to meet the mythical creatures of the forest.

Anna pulled the large book from the shelf and noticed a piece of parchment folded up hidden behind it. Curious, she reached back to pull it out and unfolded it, revealing a simple, clearly marked map of Arendelle with the surrounding forests. A red dotted line led from the castle through the mountains and ended with a large X at the top right of the page, the destination labeled in a language that Anna couldn't read.

"This looks familiar…" Anna spoke out loud to herself as she eyed the curious map.

Realizing where she had seen the strange language, she opened the book in her hands, flipping quickly to the chapter about Trolls she had read so many times before. She was impressed by her own detective work when she saw the same markings were written on the pages. A translation revealed what the words meant.

"Valley of the Living Rock…" she spoke softly.

Anna smiled as she made the connection and realized what the map was. It led to the home of the Trolls themselves, the very place she always dreamed of finding.

Anna felt torn. She had just found the answer to her prayers; a chance for a real adventure, a chance to meet the creatures she so admired and escape the monotony of life in the large, lonely castle.

However, Anna had never even attempted to leave the gates before and she somehow knew that asking her parents for permission to travel deep into the forest to meet strange mystical creatures wouldn't go over very well.

Anna's hunger for adventure overcame her desire to follow the rules. She resolved right then and there to sneak out of the castle that night to make her dream come true.

She refolded the map and slipped it into her pocket, placed the book back on the shelf, and skipped toward her room with a spring in her step.

One way or another, it was going to be quite a memorable night.

* * *

Elsa sighed as she turned the corner, breathing in the nighttime winter air, coming to the end of her routine stroll around the castle.

It was unusual for Elsa to be out this long past dark, but she was feeling particularly anxious that night after accidentally chilling a fork during dinner, receiving a concerned look from her father. Sometimes it took some fresh air and alone time outside of the castle for Elsa to keep her sanity. Tonight proved to be one of those nights where even the cold snow couldn't calm the seventeen-year-old's nerves.

Elsa heard a whinny from the stables and her eyes darted up in surprise. The horses were usually asleep by now. She decided to check on her personal mare before heading inside.

As she neared the stables, she heard a grunt and was surprised to see her sister inside, climbing onto her horse that was already prepped with a saddle. Anna was dressed in a warm cloak and there were several packed sacks hanging from the horse's side. She was clearly about to embark on a rather lengthy trip and Elsa barely had time to process what she was seeing before Anna mounted the steed and began to exit the stables.

When the younger girl noticed Elsa standing there, she spoke quickly, startled. "Elsa? W-what are you doing out here?"

"I should be asking you that. Where do you think you're going this late?"

Anna stared down at her sister from her position on her horse, looking slightly frustrated but determined. "I'm going to see the Trolls. I found a map and I'm following it. If you're going to tell Mom and Dad then fine, but I'm going anyway" she said and spurred her horse forward.

Elsa was slightly taken aback by the coldness in her sister's words and hesitated a moment before speaking up.

"Wait, Anna, you can't just go out there alone in the middle of the night, you'll get yourself killed. What is this map, where exactly are you going?" she asked, trying to sound as gentle as possible.

Anna looked back over her shoulder at the blonde girl and pulled up the hood of her cloak. "Since when do you care, anyway?" she quipped and gave her horse a kick, causing him to start a steady trot towards the gates.

Elsa was incredibly hurt by the harsh comment and wasn't sure if it was her own indignation or the sincere concern she had for her sister that caused her to run to her own horse and begin prepping a saddle as quickly as she could in order to go after the younger girl.

She surprised herself with her own dexterity as she hopped up onto the steed and spurred him into a sprint to catch up to Anna as she rode across the bridge into town.

Anna had always been the better horse-rider and Elsa knew it, but she was able to keep up with her as she made her way through the cobbled streets of the town and exited into the northern woods, following a rarely travelled path that was barely visible through the layer of white snow.

Eventually it became too dark for both the horses or the girls to see very far in front of them, and Anna slowed to a comfortable walk as she lit a lantern and consulted the map to guide the way.

Elsa trailed about ten feet behind the younger girl. She wasn't sure if Anna was aware that she was being followed or just didn't care, but either way, the redhead didn't acknowledge the blonde as they trudged along the path growing further and further from their comfortable home with every step.

They continued like that for a while, silently riding through the bitter cold. Elsa kept trying to think of something to say to her younger sister but everything she came up with sounded wrong in her head so she resolved to stay quiet and remain a protective presence for Anna but let the redhead have her way.

The narrow trail wound along the side of the snowy mountain; a steep drop-off to the right made Elsa feel uncomfortable. They were quite far from Arendelle now and any sign of civilization was at least a half hour ride away.

_What am I doing? _she thought. _I need to get us home…_

"Anna, please…" she said just loud enough for Anna to hear.

The two words were enough to set the younger girl off. She stopped her horse and whipped around to face Elsa, holding the lantern up so the older girl could see her hurt expression. She threw a leg to the side and dismounted her horse, taking an aggressive step towards her sister.

"Why are you following me?" she spat, surprising the older princess. "You ignore me for months at a time and only now when I finally find something I want to do on my own, you decide you want to come with me? Why!?" she asked, tears welling in her eyes.

Elsa was already feeling distressed from the dangerous path and she had to take a deep breath as she climbed down from her own mount before speaking. "Anna, I just want you to be safe. Come home with me and – "

"And what? Keep living in complete ignorance while you hide in your room?" Anna's voice was growing louder with each word as she let her feelings pour out. "I don't want you here. I'm going to see the Trolls by myself so you should just _go_ _home!" _she practically screamed the final words. Her voice echoed into the mountains as the two girls glared at each other with fire in their eyes. A few seconds passed while Elsa tried to think of something to calm Anna down.

A faint rumbling in the distance interrupted her thoughts, however, and Anna held the lantern up to locate the source. She squinted as she looked up the mountain and saw movement in the distance. Panic overtook Elsa when she looked up herself and realized what was happening.

Anna's loud voice had caused the snow to come loose and create a chain reaction. Ice and debris began to barrel down the mountain in a roaring mass that was heading straight for the girls.

The horses were the first to react, startled by the noise. They kicked up their front hooves in fear and took off in the direction of the castle leaving their owners petrified in the wake of the oncoming avalanche.

The deadly force of snow was only seconds away and Anna was still standing there awestruck at the quick turn of events.

The next few moments were a blur as Elsa reacted in the only way she could, throwing her gloves to the ground and running to the aid of her sister, standing between her and the upward slope of the mountain.

"Get down!" she cried and threw her arms out in front of her, releasing her magic. She wasn't sure what exactly she had in mind but prayed that her powers would create something to save them.

A wall of uneven ice spawned from the ground at least six feet wide that arced until it formed a semi-circular pod that covered the girls' heads, acting as a protective barrier from the inevitable force coming from above. Elsa turned her back to the wall and pulled Anna close to her as the snow slammed into the magical shield, spilling over the sides like a destructive tidal wave. Anna screamed as the two lowered their heads and Elsa held her breath while rocks and snow ricocheted off the ice that surrounded them and flew off the cliff on the other side of the path, disappearing into the dark unknown.

The girls were powerless to do anything now but cower and hope until the onslaught of snow and debris passed.

After what seemed like hours, the chaos finally ended. Elsa's wall had endured.

When the last rock had finally fallen and the snow settled, everything was still for a moment. Both girls just clung to each other with closed eyes until they looked around and realized they were safe. Anna's face was white and she looked around in confusion for a moment, studying the magical ice her sister had created before speaking with quiet wonder. "Elsa… That was…" she was at a loss for words.

Elsa staggered back. "I know… I-I'm a monster…" she stared at her hands with a look of anguish.

"No, Elsa… You saved us. You saved me! You aren't a monster, you…" something clicked in Anna's head as she was flooded with relief and understanding.

"I think I finally understand, Elsa. I understand everything!" she tried to put a hand on Elsa's shoulder but the blonde recoiled.

"Please, stay away, I don't want to hurt you…"

Anna clearly didn't understand what her sister meant, moving closer still. "Hurt me? Elsa, how long have you…been able to do this?" she asked, glancing at the icy barricade, not entirely sure how to classify the display she just witnessed.

Elsa said nothing and began to dig her way through the snow in the opposite direction but Anna grabbed her ungloved hand before she could react. The warmth from her sister's palm felt foreign to Elsa and made her pause.

"Please don't run away now" Anna said. "You won't hurt me. I promise. I'm your sister and I'm not afraid of you. I just want to know what's going on. What you just did was… it was amazing. I don't know why you didn't want me to know but I think I _get_ it now. Now I know that you just had a secret all along, that you never hated me!" She paused. "Right?"

Elsa could see the desperation and sincerity in Anna's eyes. She felt a knot in her stomach at the thought of Anna mistaking her distance for hate. "Of course I don't hate you, Anna! You're my sister…I love you!"

Anna smiled warmly and pulled the older girl into an embrace, not bothering to ask any more questions.

Elsa suddenly felt like she didn't need to run. Even with her gloves off and Anna's arms around her, Elsa didn't feel the magic tugging at her fingertips.

She was on the verge of tears, feeling more emotion now than she had felt in a long, long time, yet nothing bad was happening. There was no ice. There was no snow.

Everything felt right.

"Will you come see the Trolls with me?" Anna asked, still clinging to Elsa. Her voice was shaky.

Elsa was in no position to refuse now. She pulled away and gave Anna a determined look.

"We made it this far, didn't we?" she said with a chuckle.

Anna beamed and took the map back out, unfolding it carefully to check their position. "It shouldn't be too much further. We can make it before sunrise. Together."

* * *

The sisters traveled side by side the rest of the way, following the map for another hour or so before coming to a beautiful valley where steam rose from the ground through the thick snow. Familiar boulders scattered the landscape and Elsa knew they had to be close.

The two looked around in wonder, searching for any sign of life. It was nearing morning now and orange sunlight was just barely peeking over the horizon, allowing them to see more clearly as they wandered the valley.

"So… any idea what we're looking for?" Elsa finally asked.

"Not really… I mean, I kind of figured they would just be hanging around, you know? Maybe they're hiding from us." Anna replied, looking slightly disappointed at their lack of success.

Elsa thought back to the time that their family had last visited the Trolls, remembering that they were initially disguised as rocks and boulders. She winced at the painful memory.

"You know, I did read somewhere that Trolls can blend in with their surroundings. Perhaps they're around us right now and we don't even know it" she said, scanning from side to side looking for anything unusual.

She wandered over to a rather peculiar-looking boulder that was covered entirely with white fluffy snow. It was massive, almost twice as tall as the girl and four times as wide. Elsa couldn't see the surface underneath the snow so she reached a hand out to swipe it away.

Elsa was surprised to find that the snow wouldn't come off. She rubbed a little harder as Anna looked over her shoulder and she realized that what she was touching wasn't snow at all.

"This almost feels like…"

"Like what?" Anna asked.

"Fur…"

Both girls screamed in surprise as the boulder grew four giant limbs and stood, revealing its true form, towering at least eight feet tall and turning to face them. The beast took on the shape of a man with two arms and legs, covered in thick white fur. Spikes resembling clear, sharp icicles protruded from its joints.

The thing lowered its head to look at the terrified girls, revealing dark beady eyes. It snarled to show off razor sharp teeth that were also made of ice. The beast roared in anger, clearly perturbed by the mere presence of the girls. Elsa grabbed her sister's hand as they turned to flee.

They both screamed when they looked back to see the white monstrosity following them, taking huge strides on enormous legs which crushed anything in their path as the beast chased the princesses through the forest.

The girls darted around trees and rocks as they fled their pursuer, trying desperately to stay within sight of each other while dodging the snowy landscape as they ran.

Anna yelped as she stumbled on a branch hidden under the snow and tripped, falling face first into a sea of powder. The fluffy snow made it difficult for her to find her footing and the beast was quickly closing the gap between them.

Once again reacting purely on instinct, Elsa doubled back to rescue her sister just as the beast reached her and raised its huge arms with a roar, ready to pound the petrified girl into the cold earth.

Elsa threw herself over her sister and cried out in desperation.

**_No!_**

She wrapped her ungloved hands around the younger girl and turned her head away, squeezing her eyes shut, bracing for the coming impact.

There was a flash of blue light and a sound like thunder.

Then all was still.

The girls were frozen, Elsa's arms wrapped around her sister, encased in a crystallized prison of impenetrable, clear ice.

* * *

"What happened to them, Grand Pabbie?"

"I cannot know for sure, young one. It appears they had a run-in with one of our cousins, the Snow Trolls. Nasty ones, they are. Gave the princesses quite a fright, I would imagine."

"Snow Trolls can freeze people like this?"

"No, my boy, I'm afraid that must have been young Elsa's doing. The poor girl. She has even less control over her powers now than she did all those years ago."

"What are you gonna do with them?"

"Hm, I've given it some thought. I know not how they got here, but the path back to Arendelle is treacherous. I can unfreeze them, but sending them back on foot would be a death sentence."

"How can we get them home, then?"

"There is a way. A spell that will both unfreeze them and return them back safely to their beds in the castle. However, the magic is very powerful and will come at a cost. I will have to purge their minds of several hours of memories in order for it to work. Time magic is tricky and not my specialty, but if it works, they will wake up in their beds as if they had merely gone to bed last night like any other."

"Do you think that's a good idea?"

"I do not know what compelled the princesses to venture this far from the castle. What I do know is that whatever happened, the journey was far from a positive experience for either of them." The troll leader placed a hand on the cold ice that encased the princesses, trapped in time and oblivious to the world. "No, I think it is best if they forget this night. Elsa needs no more reminders of what damage her powers can cause."

Then he lifted his hands and the tomb of ice rose into the air by an invisible force before disappearing with a flash. Just like that, the deed was done.

* * *

Elsa and Anna both woke in their beds at the exact same moment with a gasp.

Elsa gazed at her reflection as she carefully fixed her hair into a bun, thinking deeply about the vivid dream she had just experienced.

Anna quickly braided her red locks, excited about sharing her own dream with her parents at breakfast and feeling especially optimistic about the day in front of her.

The sisters reached the top of the staircase at the same time and made eye contact from opposite sides of the front hall. They held each other's gaze for a moment.

"Good morning" they both said at the exact same time and giggled in unison.

That morning the princesses ate breakfast together and Anna shared all the details of her dream about the magical trolls of the forest with Elsa, gesturing wildly and laughing as she told the tale.

Elsa just listened with a polite smile, giggling at Anna's flamboyant storytelling. The older girl felt more relaxed and at ease around Anna than she had ever felt before.

_This must be the most normal conversation we've ever had_ Elsa thought. _It's almost like we're just a pair of regular sisters._

She watched as a single magical snowflake appeared from thin air and floated lazily onto the plate of pancakes in front of her.

_Almost._


	5. Brothers

King Agdar wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead as he walked down the large steps of the castle of Norwood, capital city of the Southern Isles.

_It is far too hot to be wearing this uniform. Why must a King always wear such stiff attire?_

A fat, red-headed pig of a man walked beside him wearing a tacky white robe and even tackier crown with so many jewels and ornaments that it almost looked comical on his sweaty head.

"We thank you for your visit, King Agdar, and I hope that our trade agreements were to your liking. Our relationship with the Kingdom of Arendelle has always been of the utmost importance to us" said the man, panting to keep up as they descended the steps.

"Likewise, King Berthold. It is always a pleasure to visit your...elegant kingdom. I hope to come back soon" replied Agdar as they reached the bottom of the steps. He was lying through his teeth.

In truth, the King of Arendelle loathed visiting the Southern Isles and he had been dreading this diplomatic visit for months now. Everything about the small Kingdom seemed to irk the usually level-headed king, from the hot weather to the extremely fake aristocracy that seemed to always have some kind of hidden political agenda that Agdar never seemed quite able to figure out.

Still, it was within the duties of a ruler to maintain foreign relations and friendship with neighboring royal families and Agdar forced himself to make the trip to Norwood about once a year, faking civility within the castle that housed a gluttonous king and thirteen of the most ill-mannered princes that ever tainted the northern kingdoms.

"It seems my ship is prepared and waiting. Until next time, Berthold." The King excused himself with a slight bow and began walking towards his ship anchored by the dock in the harbor nearby, eager to leave the unhospitable city and return to his children in Arendelle. Elsa may not have been the simplest daughter to raise but she was at least kind and polite, qualities that seemed to evade almost every single one of the young boys that ran around the castle of Norwood like a pack of baboons in a never-ending pissing contest.

Every time King Agdar had visited the Southern Isles he was met with some kind of ill-conceived prank or practical joke set up by one of the thirteen young princes. At first he had laughed and played along, as the pranks themselves were harmless enough; a trip-wire or bucket of water over a doorway, leaving the king bewildered and embarrassed but otherwise unharmed.

However, as the years went by and the jokes became tired and expected, Agdar couldn't help but feel a certain disdain for the smug attitude of the boys as they laughed at his expense. The King wasn't exactly used to being treated with such disrespect and although he was a light-hearted man who always appreciated a good laugh, there was something about the way the boys pointed and wrinkled their noses that annoyed him to no end. He would always maintain his calm anyway. After all, he was a guest in their home and they were royalty in their own right, so he never broke his manners around the family even for a moment.

As the king walked in the direction of his ship, he stayed alert. He had yet to have any run-ins with the princes so far on this particular visit and had a sneaking suspicion they would try to pull something off before his departure.

As if to confirm his suspicions, Agdar heard a bout of laughter as he approached the docks and saw three red-headed, royally garbed young teenage boys run towards him from the direction of the ship, high-fiving and cheering as if they had just successfully overthrown an entire kingdom.

When the boy in front spotted the king, he stopped in his tracks. "It's King Agdar! Run!" he shouted and sped off towards the castle, the other two boys in tow, and Agdar had the good sense not to try to stop them. He sighed, knowing that something was amiss, and turned his attention back to his ship.

_What have they done this time? Hole in the sail? Glue on the ship's wheel? Dammit, Captain, where are you?_

The crew was still being fed and they weren't scheduled to leave for another hour or so, but Agdar had chosen to retire to his cabin earlier than originally planned, growing rather irritated with Berthold's incessant rambling. He guessed that the princes hadn't expected him to be back so soon and he had just caught them in the act of setting up some sort of prank in the context of his own ship.

He boarded the massive vessel wearily and inspected the mast, sails, and equipment. Although he was a member of the royal family, Agdar knew his way around a ship and was no stranger to sailing. He had loved the sea ever since he was a little prince and although his crew and captain would take care of most of the work while out sailing on royal expeditions, Agdar insisted on staying on deck sometimes to help out with whatever he could. The men adored him for it.

Seeing nothing wrong up top, the king decided to go below deck to check on the supplies, praying to God that the red-headed devils hadn't somehow managed to break into his personal cabin. As he took out his keys to open his door, he heard a loud rattling noise and froze, listening carefully. It was coming from somewhere in the brig on the lowest level of the ship. Agdar quickly put his keys away and walked towards the trapdoor that led below.

The rattling continued, growing more and more intense. Agdar opened the hinged door slowly, being cautious of whatever might be lurking in the dark room below.

"Come on guys, this isn't funny! Let me out!" he heard a boy's voice coming from the deepest part of the brig and any fear he was feeling turned to worry as he quickly descended into the damp, dreary prison.

He heard a sniffle. "Guys? Is that you? Let me out, it smells bad in here…"

The King approached the furthest cell and gasped when he saw a ginger boy of about eight years old locked inside, desperately clutching the grid-iron door, tears streaming down his face and eyes puffy from crying. He immediately recognized the boy as Hans, the youngest of the Southern Isle princes.

"My God! How did you get in there?" Agdar asked in surprise. He had a sneaking suspicion he already knew the answer.

"M-my brothers…they told me we were going to play a game… they blindfolded me and led me down here and then before I knew what was happening they slammed the door and locked it… t-they said that I was better off in Arendelle so they were shipping me away…" he sniffed, trying to keep his composure when he realized who had discovered him.

"That's horrible. Where is the key, do they have it?" Agdar said, kneeling to get a better look at the child.

Hans merely pointed through the cell door to the ground several feet away. The key was lying there, just out of arms reach of the boy.

_That's just cruel…_

Agdar quickly picked it up and fumbled with the lock for a moment before sliding the heavy door open with a _clang,_ freeing the boy.

Hans looked down in shame as he exited the cell. "Thank you… I-I'll get off your ship now…" he said apologetically and turned to leave.

Agdar hesitated a moment. "Wait, Hans. You can't just let your brothers bully you like this. What would your Father say?" he said.

Hans faced the king sheepishly. "He doesn't seem to care…in fact, he kind of encourages them. They're so much bigger than me, I can't fight back. I guess it's just what brothers do… I'm used to it."

Agdar felt a pang of sadness and his disdain for the royal family of the Southern Isles grew two-fold in that moment.

He knelt to be eye level with Hans and put a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulder. "You know, I have a brother, too. We used to fight all the time as kids. It's normal. But we would also get along and do things together as friends, too. That's the way siblings should be. Your brothers are family and they should support and encourage you, not trick you and lock you up in brigs."

"Well, that's what they do… they've never been nice to me, not even once, just because I'm the youngest!" Hans replied.

Agdar knew that no amount of preaching to the young prince about the value of sibling relationships would change the older boys' behavior, so he decided to take a different approach.

"Then don't let it them get to you. Just be the person you want to be. They will _learn_ to respect you, I promise. _You_ will be the one that will grow up to do great things, not them, because you'll take what you want and won't take no for an answer. They won't get anywhere by belittling others to make themselves feel better. Real men don't need to do that. Being the youngest doesn't mean you're the weakest, Hans, and you're no weakling, I know it. So I want you to put on a brave face and prove that to the rest of your family, alright?"

Hans listened intently to the king's words and nodded with enthusiasm when he was finished, looking considerably less upset.

"Good. Now go on home and tell your brothers that if they ever mess with you like that again, I'll send my entire navy here to defend you."

Hans smiled enthusiastically and the two of them climbed the stairs to the top deck just in time to see the captain and crew arriving on the docks. Agdar helped Hans disembark before greeting his men.

The Captain saluted. "Apologies, Majesty, wasn't expecting you here this early. What's, uh" he didn't bother to finish his sentence, gesturing at Hans as the boy scampered off towards the castle.

"Oh, nothing to worry about, Captain, just those obnoxious princes causing trouble again." Agdar stated, folding his arms.

"Always knew that littlest one was the biggest trouble-maker of them all…" replied the captain, eyeing the fading red-headed figure.

"On the contrary, Captain, I think that boy might be the only one of the thirteen of them to turn out alright. Now let's go home. I haven't wanted to see my girls so badly in my entire life."

* * *

The ship set sail shortly after to return to Arendelle. Hans watched from the highest tower of the castle of Norwood as the Arendelle flag faded into the horizon. He felt a strange pull of sadness as the ship finally left his view, leaving him behind at the mercy of his cruel family.

He grunted in surprise as one of his twelve brothers hurled a ball of dirt at him from the doorway before running back down the steps, howling in self-satisfied laughter. Hans didn't even have time to see which one of them it was.

He sighed and looked back out across the water. Somewhere deep down, he wished he had never left that ship.


End file.
